Extraction process and apparatus



June 8 1926. 1,587,646

W. F. HOLZHEUER EXTRACTION PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 28, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l 0 ,a Q@ Q@ Q Q@ Q0 Q@ L@ 0 w@ :d

June-8 1926.

w. F. HoLzHEUER EXTRACTION PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 2S, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 a vl. vente@ June s 192e. S 1,587,646

W. F. HOLZHEUER EXTRACTION PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 28, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1,587,646 W. F. HOLZHEUER EXTRACTION PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Sep- 28, 1925 4 sheets-sheet 4 @wom/ato@ Patented .lune 8,

WILLIAM FREDERICK HOLZHEUER, OF HALE, MICHIGAN.

EXTRACTION PROCESS AND APPARATUS.

Application led September My invention relates to an apparatus and process for the extraction or diffusion of the sugar content from saccharine bodies, such as sugar beet cuttings in particular.

In the process in use at the present time for extracting sugar from the sugar beet, the finely sliced beets, or cossettes, are loaded into a 'series of diffusion cells connected with each other through various pipeconnections to form a battery, and Water is circulated from cell to cell along this battery to diffuse the sugar content from the cossettes into the Water which becomes rich in sugar as it proceeds by circulation along the length of the battery. This Water is supplied under moderate pressure at the point Where it enters the battery, the pressure being produced cit-her by gravity or by some mechanical means, the specific mode being immaterial. The piping between the cells is so arranged that the course of the Water is downward through each cell and upward `through the calorisators which 'are usually interposed in the pipe connecting leading from the bottom of one cell Ito the top of the next cell.

Though the number 'of cells in series forming the battery, may vary, and the s1Ze of these cells may vary both in height and diameter. nevertheless a typical example might be described as constituting about fourteen cells. the diameter of each cell being about live and the height about ten ft.

l'lioi/igh the exhausted cossettes are usually being dumped from one cell, While another cell being filled, and still another cell. undergoing the mashing7 operation, thus accounting for a total of three cells engaged in these special operz'itions, nevertheless the ren mailling cells, i. e. approximately eleven cells, are connected in the series circulation of the water which gradually becomes a rich sugar iuice, as above described.

i Because of the fact that each of the eleven cells in this circulation are loaded full with comparatively fine beet cuttings, or cossettes, which are packed into the cell quite lightly, it is obvious that the resistance to the [low of the water along the length of the battary, and through cell after cell, is. quite large, and this rate of flow, which is commonly referred to as the circulation, is greatly retarded on account of this very `ckmsiderable resistance set up by the cosscttes in each cell. However, in order to maintain good efficiency in this diffusion 28, 1925. Serial No. 59,247.

process it is essential, for various reasons, to keep this rate of circulation as high as possible. Various benefits accrue if this circulation is fast, and conversely various detriments are encountered if the circulation is slow. In addition the faster the circulation the greater the capacity or total daily tonnage of cossettes that can be handled with a givenamount of this diffusion battery equipment, and since many beet sugar factories find their diffusion is the sloW point in their entire factory operation, their efforts `are naturally interested in any improvement that will speed up the battery circulation, and thereby increase the hourly tonnage that can be handled by their battery, as such increase Will immediately release the additional capacity that they have in the other machines and stations of the factory so that the hourly tonnage or capacity of the entire factory can be increased by exactly the amount that the diffusion battery can be increased. This overall increase of the total factory capacity is of utmost importance, as the investment in all the ma.- chinery in a beet sugar factory, even outside the diffusion battery, is exceedingly large financially.

One obvious limitation against high rate of circulation in the ordinary battery operated in the usual manner, arises from the fact that the water pressure, at the point Where the Water enters the battery, can only be raised to a moderate amount, because if it is raised above a certain point, its downward force or flow inthe rstfew cells is so Vgreat as to draw the entire charge el cossettes in those cells downward forcibly against the bottoniv of these cells, and packs these cesse-ttes so 'tightly onto the bottom that they act more or less in the nature of a. large valve and practically close ofi' the iioiv completely, so that in place of increasing the rate of circulation by virtue of increasing the initial Water pressure, just the reverse results are obtained. ln order to hold the cossettes up and prevent them from packing so tightly` onto the bottoni of the cell as just described, various expedients such as large quantities of chains hung transversely across the cells at various elevaA tions therein, have been resorted to, With a fair degree of success, but the number of chains that can thus be hung in the cells is limited by the fact that if any excess of chains are used it becomes very difficult to l (lt CIZ load t-heoriginal cossettes intopthe cells, and it also becomes diiiicult to dump the spent cossettes out et the cells, and the time lost by increased Vditliculty from these causes 5 cts tbe benelit of increased rate ot circulation. ln other Words the beneiit derived by using chains to support the cosset-tes within il' cello so that a somewhat higher initial.v .nager lpressure can be usedA in order to speed up thecireulation, isdimited, and those `ljvctorifes ivherethis expedient, has been iiic-.eased to the limiuctits usefulness, o'teir, tor yarious reasons,tind.then selves de ous .of stillfurther increasing theirerate oi' battery circulation, but find it, impossible to do .this by anyprocess or means hereto- 'oreattheir disposal.

The, principal obiec v,andbenefits of the arrangement and new processvolt operating the batterywivhich .l'wwill-hereinafter .describe, is Adirected to \vaijd .ei`ectiVely increasv ing; the batterycirculation ina rverysubstantial manneigthis increase being lgained over the best vratesl ot circulation `heretofore produced,` YBrief my a :rangement and process includes'a modilication ot the ordinary piping' connecting' the-various cells, and including a series' o t valves, and proper headers, so thatuatter the Water ,or juice has flowed apiiiroximately through halt the cells under the .orceiof, the initial pressure, it 1s brought through one of tliebeaders to a booster pump Where its pressure lis raised back `toY approximately the, same -amount, as thevoriginall'pressure at which theyvater entered the first cell, and with this boosted pressurey it flows back thru another header Where the valvesare so set that'it enters the next cell in thevr series and iiovvs much more rapidly Ithrough. theremainder vof the batterybecause of the increased-pressure which it receivesby passage through the booster pump. By thus cutting into the battery part Way along` its length, and boosting' the pressure as just described, the .total overall iioW or circulation through the entire battery can be considerably increased-over any previous method otoperation,,Without introducing any detrimental features, and as above described this increased rate of circulation is oi utmost value in a great many sueur factories. In consideringthis subject from the standpoint of the actual inode of operatingt the battery it is of course realized that all diiiusion batteries are operated with a definite sequence ot operations progressing; from cell to cell around ,the battery as the Worlr proceeds, For instance though aparticular cell may-be dumped at agiven time, and another cell being filled at the saine time, nevertheless. a ieiv moments later it will be aA.neinf-hboringV cell that is beingdumped, and still another celltliat is being:` tillech and on these operations proceed progressively from one cell to rthe neat in other steps of the operation.

the pressure and reinjecting into the series as above described, also changes trom cell to cell along with the sequence et all the ""his ivill become ,clear from thedetailed ei-:planatiou ofthe. ap oaratus in a subsequent part ot this specication.r

HShouldit be found that merely boosting;` the pressure at one point in the` battery is not sutiicient, my invention contemplates that the pressure can be'boosted back approximately to initial pressure at tivo, three or more pointsthe modiiication of the appaat-us for this purpose being fairly obvious.

in order to put my invention into e'liect, one convenient mode ot arranging the apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, y

lfigxi is a top plan' vieu' of a battery ot fourteen cells arranged in a straight line system;`

Figure 2 is a front elevation ot the same;

Figure 3 is a. rear elevation thereof;

Figure l is a side elevation;

,Figure 5 is a side elevation looking in the opposite direction to Figure 4; Figure y6 is a transverse sectional vieu' taken on line G-.6 of Figure l,

Figure 7 is a similar sectional vievT talzc longitudinally through a portion of the apparatus;

.Figure S is a horizontal longitudinal sectional vieiv on ine 8-8 et Figure l.

'ln the several views oi the drawing', l have shown a battery 0i' diffusion cells, which, to aid in the description, are numbered 'fit1-om l to it consecutively, and which are arranged in a straight line, although it is ot course understood that the cells may be arranged in a curve, circle, rectangle, or .in any other desired manner.

i rilliese diffusion cells are preferably mounted on, a suitable foundation l5, beneath lie operators lplatform 16, with their upper ends protrudingij-'through suitable apertures in: saidplatform, A longitudinally extendingfvwater header 17, which supplies the .fresh-Water under moderate pressure, trom a ,source not shown, is connected with the upper ends oit' the respective cells by means o tthepipe 1S, the adjustable hand valve 19, the tivo-Way valve 26, and the pipe 20, there being oneoi'l each et these parts in the connection leading Afron-i this vater header l? to the top'ot each et the cells. As is best ril) liti

indicated in Figures 3, 4 and 7, a pipe. 21 leads from the lower end of each diffusion cell up to a valve 22, and it desired this vertical pipe 2l can be arranged in the inanner oi' a. calorisator tor hea-ting the juice as it comes trom the bottom of one cell upward through this pipe on its passage to the next cell.

As best indicated in Figures l and 4, a pipe 23 connects this valve 22 with a twoway valve` 24, from which the branch pipes 24a and 25 extend, the former being connected with a longitudinally extending header 27, which leads to a n'ieasuring tank as hereinaitter described, and the pipe 25, best shown in Figures l, 2 and 4 being connected with the two-way valve 26 ot the next succeeding cell.

rl`he header 27 is connected at one end with the measuring tank 30, see Figure 5, by means ot a pipe 28 and the valve 29 located adjacent to the tank. A second measuring tank 31, 'see Figures l and 4, is connected with the pipe 28 by means ot a branch pipe 32 and a valve 33,

Another longitudinally extending header 34, best seen in Figures l, 2, 4 and 5, is connected. at cach cell by means of a` pipe 34, valve 35, the two-way valve 35a, and pipe 35", with the vertically rising pipe 21, previously described. lt desired a storage tank 36, see Figure 4, for receiving sweetwater can be mounted on platform 16 near the end ot the battery where the measu ing taiiiks 3() and 3l ai'e located, and this tank 36 ,an be connected with the adjacent end oi header 34 by means ot a pipe 37 communicating with the bottom ot the tank.

ln this case a longitudinal header 39 can bi disjiesed above the diffusion cells, see 'ure 4, and this head-er 39 is at each cell vided with a valve 52 which communicates Athrough a branch pipe 51, with the pipe 9 il at enters the upper end ot each cell.

l llie end et header '39 connects with pipe 40,

et the storage tank 36.

cases where the storage tank 36 is not used, the hel l f 39 and pipes 40, 4l, 42, and

3.5i' may be oi ted, their points ot connection wi'h pipes 49 and header 34, Figure 4, oi course closed or sealed by means ot' ieostrr pump 44, which is used to boost the pi'esJ.ure in order to speed up the battery circulation in the manner indicated in a ioriner part ot this specification.

rlhe heater may, or may not le used, according as suits the taste ot the designer. Also have shown the booster pump 44 as represented by a centrifugal pump, but any other kind oi' a pump can of course be used, or in fact any means or arrangement for increasing pressure can be used, it being understood that the puinpwhich I have shown is intended to be broadly representative ot any pressure boosting, or pressure raising mechanism or arrangement that is suitable tor this purpose. ln this connection it might be noted that the above mentioned heaters or calorisators arranged in the pipe connections between the cells, perhaps have an exceedingly small eect on the pressure 01"' the fluid because ot the exceedingly small expansion that results 'from the heating effect ol' t-lie calorisators, but obviously the pressure change due to this cause is so small as to be utterly negligil'ile so tar as practical operations are concerned. ln fact it is impossible to measure o-r notice this change ot pressure due to the calorisators, on any ot the pressure gauges ordinarily used on these dithision batteries. Therefore this negligible and intinitesimally small change ot pressure due to the calorisators,`is entirely disregarded and is not embraced within the terni boosting the pressure, etc., as used in this application.

The low pressure side ot the pump or pressure boosting means 44 is connected through pipe 45il to the adjacent end ot another longitudinally extending header 43,

which latter is connected by means or' pipes 43h with the two-way valves 35 from which the connection leads through pipes 35" and 2l to the bottom oic each cell.

For obvious reasons this header 43 may be termed the low pressure header as it is the one -from which the juice is drawn 'from one ot the cells approximately in the center ot the circulation, and led lo the booster pump for boosting the pressure on the juice before saine is passed back alongl header 4'" and injected into the next cell Following the one lroiii which it is drawn into the header 43. ln regard to the high pressure header 47, it is ot course understood that all ot the valves leading trom the respective cells, excepting one, are closed, and likewise that all ot the valves 85 leading troni the r xspe-ctive cells to the low pressure booster header 43, excepting one, are closed, and that in this way through the one valve 535 which is open, the juice is drawn from that particular cell through the header 43 into the suction side ot the pump where its pressure is boosted by the pump and passed back into the high pressure header 4T where it passes through the one Valve 50 which is open, into the next cell in the series,

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iris

lis the operations progress along the battery troni cell to cell, the one valve 35a, and the one valve 50, which is open, is progressively changed i'roin cell to cell along the battery as the operations progress, so that it is seen that the particular point in the battery at which his boosting done progresses along; the length of the battery in .keeping` with the other steps in the battery operations.

:lil it is desired to reduce the cost of installing' this pressure boostingl portion o'I` the process it can be done by omit-ting the pipes ylil and the two-way valve .35a troni every other cell, or in tact even two et the sets ot valves and parts can be oniitted out ot' every three, which will reduce the costo't installation very substantially, and satis- Ylactory results in increasing; the speed of battery circulation can still be obtained even though the booster puinp or pressure 'aisinpf nieans can only be cnt into the battery at every second or every third cell, which point however can still be selected approximately niidway alongl the length ot the entire circulation, or atany other point which the operator prefers. i j

Aln order to complete the description ot the piping` shown, the following reinarks niay be helpful. y

the Sweetwater' fau; Sli, ano other connected parts, are used, an emerge cy discharged pipe nray be installed for connecting pipe oi the pressure boosting circuit with the upper end ot' the storage tank 36, the connection through this pipe 53 being` cut ott' however by means ot' a safety valve 53, which is normally closed to prevent circulation through pipe 53, but which opens to relieve any exce ve pressure that niay iter any reason be built up in the high pressure portion otthe booster systein. EL pipe llt) may also be connected with the upper end ot storage tank 3o, this pipe GO beingsuitably connected so as to collect sweetn'ater that may accun'iulate at other stations or places oi' operation in the beet sugar lfactoryt Also outlet pipes 55 and 56, Figures land 5, connect the measuringV tanks 30 and il respectively with the carbonation apparatus ot the sugar plant` (not shown), and these pipes are provided with valves 58 and 59.

Header TO, shown in Figs. l, 4iand S, is an accessory pipe that is used in various ways by those accustomed to operate these ditli'usion batteries.

The 'foregoing description concludes the essential portions ot the piping and other apparatus in a diliusion battery arranged to be operated on iny pressure boosting systeni, and l will now describe the manner ot setting the valvestor a tew ot the iinportant steps in the operation, it being unteef/,elfi

derstood that these settings progress from point topoint, and cell to cell along the battery as the operation continues.

y Assuming that the battery is in full operation and the work progressing` normally, it is realized that water under an initial pressure head will be entering;l one of the cells, this being` the starting` pointin the circulation. is a matter of tact this fresh water usually enters the cell in which the cossettes are inost exhausted oi" their sugar content. Un this particular cell the valves will be set as follows: Valve ll) will be open; the twoway valve will be set sor as to connect 'valve i9 with pipe :'20, and so as to ,cutoli' the pipe rising diagonally and eventually connecting with the bottoni ot' the precedingcell. (ilbviously this will perinit the iresh water troni header l? to pass through pipe 18valve l), two-way valve 26, and pipe 2O into the cell at the top, `troni whence the circulation proceeds downward through this cell and upward through the pipe or calorisator 2l conn cted to the bottoni otthiscell, and from this pipe 2l the juiceV passes up through valve branch pipe 23, two-way valve il and pipe 25 into the two-,way valve fill ot the ner-1t tollowing cell. ln the portion ot the pipino' just mentioned, they two-way valve 55, li. re il, closed against the branch pipe o valve is open, the tivoway valve is open to pipe 25, but closed to pipe Zita, and the two-way valve 26 in the nest succeeding cell is open so as to connect the circulation troni pipe 25 through pipe 20 into the next cell. Frein this next cell through which the circulation isdounvard, the juice again rises upward through the pipe or calorisator 2l and into the top of the next cell in the saine manner as just described, the setting ot' the valves being' identical, ln siinilar nianner the circulation proceeds troni cell to cell, always being downivard through each cell, and ujnard throng-rh the intervening piping to the next cell. The iresh water which was introduced into the cell lei-'firing the inost .exhausted cossettes, gradually becomes richer in sugar as it dil:- tuses the sugar by osmosis troni the cossettes into the juice, this cnrichening' et the juice pri'iceedingj cuniulativcly troni cell to cell until the richest juice at'ter passing over thel last cell, in which the new and rich settes are found, leaves the l attery i ceeds to the ineasuring` tanks and 3l., 3 a setting' et' the valves which will prese; tly be oescribed..

As previously described, at a point in the circulation roughly inidway along its lengtl'i, or at any other desired point, between the cells where the fresh water is adinitted and the richest juice is discharged to the lneasuring tank, the juice is taken out ot the systein to the pressnreboosting arrangement described, where its pressure is boosted and the juilVL again enters circulation in the cell approximately next to the one from which it as taken out, and in this way the speed ot irculation throughout the entire `battery is substantially increased, with very large benelits of a character that aie well understood by those skilled in the operation of these diil'usiou batteries. The setting ot the valves lor accomplishing this boosting o' the pressure at a desired point along the battery, has previously been described in detail.

rlhe setting ot the valves on the last cell in the battery, where the rich juices are l'reing led to the measiuing tank 3l tor uitimate discharge from the battery, are as tcllows: The valve 22, Figure 4., is open, and the two-way valve 24 isclosed against pipe but open to pipe 24 so as to allow the juice to flow down through pipe 24 into header 27, and along same into pipe 28, trom which it flows either into tank 30 or 3l, according as to whether the valve 29 or 33 is open. At this time the two-way valve 35 is of course closed against pipe 35".

The headers and parts 34, 34a, 5G, 37, 3S), 40, 4l, 42 and 52, all oit which have been previouslj7 described, can be used under the following circumstances. Assuming that a` cell beyond the one into which the boosted pressure is admitted, is plugged, i. e. the cossettes have plugged the b' ttom esit port from the cell, the tendency to do this being noticeable with 'bad r frozen beets, and being induced by the normal downward current of the fluid through the eossettcs in the cell. Such a plug, is ot course undesirable and should be removed. To remove same with the above mentioned equipment, the valve 52 corresponding with and adjacent to the open valve 50, is also opened somewhat, so that some ot the high pressure juice from the high pressure header 4'?, will flow through pipes 40, 41, tank 8G, pipe 37, header 34, pipe 34a and into the bottom ot the plugged cell by properly operating the following valves corresponding to that cell. The valve 35 is opened, the two-way valve 35a is closed against the pipe 431 and opens valve 35 into pipe 35h, from which the tluid momentarily flows downward through pipe 2l and enters the bottom ot the plugged cell, the valve 22 of course being closed to permit this action. This momentary countcrtlow down through pipe` 2l into the bottom oit the cell, has a tendency to lift and agitato the cossettes that are plugging the circulation, and as soon as this plugging action is relieved, the valves are all returned to their normal operating position, and the circulation and diltusion operation continues in its normal manner.

For certain other detailed steps in the operation which may at special times be desired, the various valves shown and indicated may be manipulated to produce same,

but these various details of operation have nothing to do with the pressule boostii features whicl'i constitute one of the principal parts oit my invention, and being weil understood by those skilled in battery operatic saine need not be further d .'hed herein.

.ln coi'ielusion, l wish to point out that the art ci? drawing the juice out at a point part way along the length ot the circula-dion, at u place which can be ch ged from time to time Vas the opera'n proceeds, and then utter boosting the p, e 'e oi" this juice, reinjecting saine at an ce t or subsequent 'einbeim'e depoint in the circi:latioinJ hei scribed, is lr ly new and pioneer, so tar as i am aware, and that l broadly ani the inventor thereot, and of the ve substantial benefits both 'from diffusion etieiency and increased battery and factory capacity that in be obtained thereby. i

i' s one of the benelits derived troni my boosted circulation pressure, and not previously mentioned, i call attention to the tact that there is sutiicient pressure to both draw juice from the last cell into the measuring tanks, and also to torce juice from this last cell up througl the next cell ot Jresh cossettes which are being` mashed. ln the ordinary mode of operating a diffusion battery without my boosted pressure, it is very ditiicult, or impossible, to obtain. enough pressure at the end of the battery to both draw and l at the same time, and for this reason masa these operations are usually performed one after the other, which has a further elige-ct in slowing do vn the battery, and results in a beneiitderived by my boosted pressure as batteries equipped with same are capable both o'l drawing and mashing simultaneously, and this ot course speeds up the overall circulation further.

Though l have described my invention as used in the process of manufacturing sugar, nevertheless both the process and apparatus described herein has application in other arts and industries wherever it is desired to ez;- tract into a liquor a desired ingredient from a. substance loaded into a diifusion battery. In the sugar industry the liquor consists et water which gradually becomes rich in sugar it circulates along the length of the battery; the desired ingredient is the sugar; and the substance loaded into the diffusion battery is the beet cuttings or cossettes as hereinbefore described; but in other arts or industries the liquor, the desired ingredient, and the original substance, together with other substances that may be present, may all be different from those in the sugar industry, but my invention is useful and applicable nevertheless, and l claim it in respect to those other arts and industries as well as tor the sugar industry.

Also various inodilieations et my apparatus and process will be apparent, but these are Iall broadly included Within the scope of the appended claims.

l claim:

l. The process ot extracting into liquor a desired ingredient from a substance loaded into a diffusion battery, said process consisting oit circulating the liquor under an initial pressure progressively through a series of cells constituting the batteryv and containing the original substance, and boosting the circulation pressure ot said liquor at a place intermediate oil the ends of said battery by passing said liquor through a pressure boosting means provided tor this purpose, substantially as described.

2. rl"lie process o't' extracting into liquor a des d ingredient from a substance loaded into a diiiusiou battery1 said process consist-- ing ot' circulating the liquor progressii'elj,7 through a series ot' cells constituting the batter)Y and containing the original substance, and boosting the circulation pressure oit said liquor at a place interniiediate ot the ends et said battery by interposing a pressure boosting means in the circulation at a place where the liquor passes from one of the cells into another ot the cells in the series, substantially as described'.

3. rEhe process oi' extracting into liquor a desired ingredient from a substance loaded into a dililusion battery, consisting of circulating the liquor progressively through a series ot' cells constituting the battery and containing the original substance, and boosting the circulation pressure of said liquor at a place intermediate of the ends of said battery by interposing a pressure boosting means in the circulation at a place where the liquor passes from one cell into another cell in the series, the particular cells between which the pressure boosting means is interposed being changed progressively along the battery as the other steps in the extracting process proceed along the battery, substantially as described.

sf. An apparatus tor carrying out my herein described process, consisting of a dit ifusion battery having a number ot cells in series, said cells being connected with each other tl'n'ough valves and piping so that a 'fluid introduced into said series ot cells can circulate proei ssii/*ely trom one cell to another along the battery, and means for boosting the circulation pressure of said iiuid at a point along its course through the ba-ttery` consisting oi? a low pressure header connected with various of said cells through separate valves, and a high pressure header aiso connected to Various ot said cells through sepa- 'ate valves, said low and high pressi re headers being connected to cach other through a pressure boosting means, one ol: said Valves connecting one oi' said cells with said low pressure header being open, While one of said valves connecting another ot said cells with the high pressure header is open to cause said fluid to pass 'from one cell through said pressure boosting means and bach into another cell at a higher pressure, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, l aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM FREDERlCK HOLZHEUER. 

